Lower Rates of Depression In Westernised Chinese In the US (original) (raw)
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Psychosocial predictors of first-onset depression in Chinese Americans
Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, 2000
Lewinsohn et al. 1988). For example, in an examination UniversIty of California at Los Angeles. of E Pidemiolo gic Catchment A (ECA) d t K:'. 1 Box 95156~ (~191 Franz Hall). rea a a, ess er Loti Anl!eles. CA 90095-1563. and Magee (1994) found that 91% of respondents who USA ~ reported an episode of depression in the previous 12 D, T. Takeuchi months had a history of prior episodes. In another Department of Sociology. study, conducted by Lewinsohn et al. (1988), 76 out of Indiana University 85 depressed cases (89%) experienced a prior depressive Bloomington. IN 47405-6628 episode. Furthermore, Sorenson et al. (1991) found that .Support for this study was provided by NIMH grants 47460 and most of the depressed people in their sample had been 44331. depressed more than once, with three episodes being the \1
American Journal of Psychiatry, 1998
Objective: The authors' goal was to estimate the lifetime and 12-month rates of major depressive episodes and dysthymia for Chinese Americans who reside in Los Angeles. This effort, the Chinese American Psychiatric Epidemiological Study, is the first large-scale community psychiatric epidemiological study on an Asian American ethnic group that used DSM-III-R criteria for major depressive episodes and dysthymia. Method: A multi-stage sampling design was used to select respondents for participation in the survey. The sample included 1,747 adults, 18-65 years of age, who resided in Los Angeles County and who spoke English, Mandarin, or Cantonese. Results: Approximately 6.9% of the respondents had experienced an episode of major depression and 5.2% had had dysthymia in their lifetime. The 12-month rates of depressive episode and dysthymia were 3.4% and 0.9%, respectively. The most consistent correlate of lifetime and 12-month depressive episode and dysthymia was social stress, measured by past traumatic events and recent negative life events. Conclusions: The Chinese American Psychiatric Epidemiological Study provides a rare opportunity to investigate the heterogeneity within a single Asian American ethnic group, Chinese Americans, and to identify the subgroups among Chinese Americans who may be most at risk for mental health problems.
Symptoms and Experience of Depression Among Chinese Communities in the West
Harvard Review of Psychiatry, 2018
Despite the increasing presence of Chinese communities in the West, their experiences of depression and the variations in symptoms or presentation are not well understood. Using Arksey and O'Malley's methodical framework, we conducted a scoping review of the published literature, using electronic databases MEDLINE and PsycINFO, and searched for articles published since 1999. Out of 1177 articles identified, 21 met the inclusion criteria. Thematic synthesis revealed valuable scholarly work on (1) depression rates, migration, and contextual determinants, (2) causation beliefs and help seeking, (3) acculturation and symptoms, (4) presenting symptoms and somatization, and (5) culturally sensitive assessment and care. Overall, this review has identified the importance of contextual determinants in the development of depression, low rates of seeking of professional help, subtle variations in somatization, and knowledge gaps in culturally sensitive care. The findings suggest that, rather than treating migration as a cause of mental distress, the accompanying conditions and events need to be further examined and addressed as potential risk or protective factors. Subtle variations in somatization are also evident, and future scholarly work should examine the notion of cultural scripts-namely, that people attend and react to particular experiences in culturally based ways. For this reason (among others), practice models need to develop strategies for culturally sensitive care, such as co-construction of illness narratives and finding common ground. Given the stigma of mental illness and the low level of seeking professional help, the role of primary care should be expanded. Further studies investigating mental health issues beyond depression are also warranted in the studied community.
Psychiatry Research, 2013
Using a nationally representative sample of 1280 Asian Americans, we examined the extent to which major depressive disorder (MDD) onset differs by ethnicity and its associated factors for each of the three ethnic groups: Vietnamese, Filipino, and Chinese. We employed the Kaplan-Meier method to estimate the survival and hazard functions for MDD onset by ethnicity, and cox proportional hazards models to identify socio-demographic and immigration-related factors associated with MDD onset. Approximately 7% of the entire sample had experienced MDD onset in their lifetime. Filipino immigrants showed the highest survival function, followed by Vietnamese immigrants over time. Those who were never-married or divorced were more likely to experience MDD onset when compared to their married or cohabiting counterparts. Those who immigrated at a younger age were more likely to experience MDD onset than were those who immigrated at an older age. However, there were ethnic variations in terms of the risk factors that were associated with MDD onset across these three ethnic groups. Findings from this study signal the importance of understanding the differing experiences of MDD onset by ethnicity.
Understanding Cultural Influences on Depression by Analyzing a Measure of Its Constituent Symptoms
International Journal of Psychological Studies, 2010
To examine the different understandings of depression between Chinese and Americans, we employed confirmatory factor analysis, multidimensional scaling, and hierarchical cluster analysis of the symptom measure provided by the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale (CES-D). The present study revealed a different center-periphery scatter pattern of the twenty items of the CES-D in the two cultural groups, such that Chinese made a clearer discrimination between the affective/interpersonal and somatic items, while Americans conflated such items. Moreover, Chinese tended to further separate somatic symptoms into two subdivisions: subjective symptoms and objective symptoms. These results demonstrate that the conceptual organization of the symptoms characterizing depression is culture-related, suggesting culturally appropriate modifications in its clinical practice.
The conception of depression in Chinese American college students
Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, 2000
The conception of depression in Chinese American college students was examined with the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale (CES-D). It was hypothesized that, because of their significant engagement with mainstream American culture, these students' conception of depression would, better approximate White Americans' differentiated vinii (L. Radloff, 7977} than the general Chinese American community's integrated view (Y. Ying, 1988). A total-of 353 biculluml Chinese American, college students participated in the study. Consistent, with the hypothesis, print-ipal-compoiimtts factor analysis with varimax rotation reue,alf,d a factor structure and loading similar in lhat found in While Am/rricfin adults. Confirmatory fackrr analysis also showed Chinese American college students to heller approximate Radloff's differentiated model based on her \\liite American, samples than Ying's integrated model based on her Chinese American community sample. Implications of the findings and directions for future research are discussed.
The expression of depression in Asian Americans and European Americans
Journal of abnormal psychology, 2014
Past studies of the expression of depression in people of Asian descent have not considered whether observed ethnic differences in somatization or psychologization are a function of differences in the expression of the disorder or of group differences in the degree of depressive symptomatology. In the present study, we carried out χ(2) and Item Response Theory (IRT) analyses to examine ethnic differences in symptoms of Major Depressive Disorder in a nationally representative community sample of noninstitutionalized Asian Americans (n = 310) and European Americans (n = 1,763). IRT analyses were included because they can help discern whether there are differences in the expression of depressive symptoms, regardless of ethnic differences in the degree of depressive symptomatology. In general, although we found that Asian Americans have lower rates of depression than European Americans, when examining specific symptoms, there were more similarities (i.e., symptoms with no ethnic differe...